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Getting rid of belly fat after childbirth

I have been left a gift from my last son in the form of a flabby stomach. I need to figure out how to get rid of this stomach. It's just not comfortable and I hate to go shopping because I don't know what to buy anymore.

My son was born by cesarean section. I had placenta previa and experienced a bad bleed that left me on bedrest the last two months leading up to the surgery. I lazed around bored and ate more than normal due to no activity. Well I think this contributed to the extra weight I now carry around my midsection.

Please help me figure out how to get rid of my stomach. It's the only area where I currently have extra weight. I'd like to feel comfortable in a bathing suit again.

I had no problem dropping my weight after the first 4 bubs. But after #5, I was in my early 40's and, well, hormones change and it becomes MUCH harder to take the weight off.

Something that can help to balance those hormones and also reduce weight is to eat more raw foods. You can aim for 60% and go to 80% or 100% raw if you want. A raw food diet can be challenging when you're feeding a family (I know from experience) but you can always just add in the raw foods as you can, and reduce the foods that are causing you to keep the weight on.

Do you know your blood type? If you share your blood type I can share some foods that are known to put on weight and other foods that are known to take off weight according to how the lectins in the food interact with your blood type antigen.

A couple of really great things that can help increase energy and reduce weight is to drink one or two glasses of pure water every morning when you get up.

Follow that with some freshly pressed pure juices or a green smoothie. Here's a video of how to make a green smoothie - they are yummy and your kids will probably love them too.

If you want to lose the weight quickly, then reducing the fruit and increasing the vegetables is very helpful. The challenge with this is that the smoothie won't taste very good (it will taste like blended vegetables).

Here's a video that explains why green smoothies are so powerful at helping you lose weight. The more greens you use the faster the weight loss.

And here's a video showing you how to make a green smoothie (children love these, especially the little ones).

Lastly you'll want to work on toning that tummy. Sit ups work great, and be sure you're getting enough fresh air and exercise every day.

My blood type is O-Positive. I would really love some suggestions for raw food types. I haven't been able to lose my tummy since I had bub number five. I definitely want to change my way of eating so that both myself and family benefit and become healthier. I'm also not a water drinker so this is also something I have to change. I am going to incorporate water into my daily routine. I'm also going to try and make some of these smoothies. I know I need to make these changes and this is just one step in the right direction. I can't wait to get started.

If you're not a water drinker, you can start with diluting your juice with 50% water. Once you've adjusted to that, gradually reduce the juice and increase the water.

Another thing you can do is to squeeze 1/2 a lemon into a glass of water each morning and drink that. If you want a little sweet, use honey, agave nectar or pure maple syrup (brown sugar is even better than white sugar). Stevia is an all natural herbal sweetener and a little goes a long way.

People with type O blood have the highest amount of stomach acid and they do very well on high quality animal protein. They will also do well on something like "The Zone" diet which is high protein, low carbohydrate.

Wheat and most other grains tend to put weight on the Type O person. You'll want to stay away from wheat and corn, and have only a little oatmeal/oats.

Please post back and let me know if you think you have been eating foods which tend to put weight on for the type O person, or if you think you're pretty much already following the blood type guidelines for weight loss.

I would really love to shed this belly fat. I gave birth 2 yrs ago and I still have this fat. I exercise, but not routinely. I don't eat at night and I am on a low carb. However I am still fat. My blood type is A. What should I eat and what should I do to be thin? thank you.

It is really important to exercise daily for at least 30-40 minutes and for longer if you want to lose weight. You could incorporate your exercise regime into everyday life. For example, you could get an aerobics video that you do with your toddler dancing around too. Or take your toddler on a long walk in a toddler-worthy sling or pushchair.

Try to cut down on food which is high in sugar or saturated fat. At the start of the day you could make up some healthy snacks. Using natural foods is best for both you and your toddler. For example, you could eat carrot sticks with home-made hummus or fresh fruit and berries. A handful of nuts can give you lots of energy if you are feeling hungry.

When you say you don't eat at night what do you mean? It is best to eat regularly; actually little and often is best for your body's digestion. You can eat plenty as long as it is natural and low in fat and coupled with lots of exercise.

What would be a typical days meal plan for you?

Remember that eating a good breakfast with food that releases energy slowly is best for a healthy diet. For example, oatmeal with a banana chopped into it. What is healthy for your toddler to eat will also be healthy for you and help you to lose weight.

Finally, remember that it takes 9 months to grow a baby and, on average, it takes 18 months for a woman's body to go back to its pre-pregnancy pre-birth state. Be kind to yourself and take one step at a time and you will get there.

It is really important to exercise daily for at least 30-40 minutes and for longer if you want to lose weight. You could incorporate your exercise regime into everyday life. For example, you could get an aerobics video that you do with your toddler dancing around too. Or take your toddler on a long walk in a toddler-worthy sling or pushchair.

Try to cut down on food which is high in sugar or saturated fat. At the start of the day you could make up some healthy snacks. Using natural foods is best for both you and your toddler. For example, you could eat carrot sticks with home-made hummus or fresh fruit and berries. A handful of nuts can give you lots of energy if you are feeling hungry.

When you say you don't eat at night what do you mean? It is best to eat regularly; actually little and often is best for your body's digestion. You can eat plenty as long as it is natural and low in fat and coupled with lots of exercise.

What would be a typical days meal plan for you?

Remember that eating a good breakfast with food that releases energy slowly is best for a healthy diet. For example, oatmeal with a banana chopped into it. What is healthy for your toddler to eat will also be healthy for you and help you to lose weight.

Finally, remember that it takes 9 months to grow a baby and, on average, it takes 18 months for a woman's body to go back to its pre-pregnancy pre-birth state. Be kind to yourself and take one step at a time and you will get there.

Warm wishes,
LJ

My typical day would compose; one full breakfast, snacks, vegetable for lunch, snacks and vegetable or fruit in the evening.

It actually sounds like you are not eating enough filling wholewheat foods and healthy carbohydrates. I would substitute the snacks that you are eating for 3 or even four filling healthy meals a day. There are some excellent natural, wholefood recipe ideas here and I can personally recommend the roasted chickpea stew and the pumpkin and feta risotto. It is better to eat healthy main meals, skip the snacks and couple this with a daily exercise regime.

People with blood type A (and those with O) often find that wheat and corn products pack on the pounds. I would definitely avoid these. Wheat has gluten and is inflammatory to the body, so it's best for most people to avoid this - even whole wheat. Some people can tolerate Spelt better than wheat, as it is an Ancient form of wheat so some people have less of an allergic response to it, but spelt has gluten too, so best to avoid all gluten when possible.

Today I read an article that gluten can cause numerous health concerns including heart disease and malignancy (cancer). This is actually a very good article that discusses a study involving 30,000 patients and reported in the Journal of the american Medical Association. I would encourage you to read it so you understand what the symptoms of gluten sensitivity are (this can include gass, bloating or burping), what gluten insensitivity has to do with cancer, why the number of people with gluten sensitivity has skyrocketed in the last few years, and you will also find some excellent diet guidelines which can not only help prevent disease, but will also help you lose belly fat.

In looking at Jhoan's diet, I would say you are most likely not receiving enough high quality protein (dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, high quality fish, chicken, turkey) and you are most likely not getting enough healthy fats. Healthy fats can actually help you lose weight. Fats like avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, flax oil and cod liver oil all offer essential fatty acids that the body needs. These fats should replace hydrogenated fats (often used in fried foods and packaged foods), margarine and even butter (though butter is better than margarine, and grass fed butter can be very good for you, in moderation).

I would cut out nearly all grains, and all foods with sugar. The only grains I would eat would be a little gluten free oats or quinoa. In general, eating a diet high in dark green leafy vegetables and other fruits and vegetables, along with some high quality fats, nuts and seeds, and some high quality protein should help you in losing more weight. You can eat lots of fresh, raw, fruits and vegetables all day long, and lose weight simply because it's hard to get too many calories if the majority of your meals is fresh fruits and vegetables.